Fri-Yay: High Concept Sitcoms; Bravo's Imposters Returns in April

Friday, February 09, 2018

Fri-Yay: High Concept Sitcoms; Bravo's Imposters Returns in April

It's time for another edition of Fri-Yay! That means we will take a look back on some sitcom happenings in recent days or weeks or other fun sitcomy stuff. It's a sitcom lover's paradise! Happy Fri-Yay!

by Vincent

Sitcoms tend to go in phases, and one of the many phases of the sitcom is "high concept vs. low concept." This trend can be dated way back to the earliest decades of television - I'd argue the '50s were a "low concept" decade as most shows from that era were fairly simple in premise, shows such as I Love Lucy or Leave it to Beaver, which had straightforward and realistic premises (newlyweds in the city, families in the suburbs) and relied on character antics for their laughs and plot. However, following the '50s came the '60s, which had huge concepts - just look at shows like I Dream of Jeannie or Bewitched, shows about magical creatures which had complex rules and universes of their own. This became the norm in the '60s - shows about talking horses, flying nuns, witches, and genies were the norm, perhaps as a form of a escapism from the turbulent political climate. While we saw some high-concept shows after the '60s, for the most part, shows began to get gradually lower in their concept until Seinfeld became the quintessential low concept series - it was a sitcom that was proud to be a "show about nothing."

However, for the first time in many years, we're beginning to see a rise in high concept sitcoms again. The biggest example of this is likely The Good Place, which is one of the most high-concept hit sitcoms in quite some time, revolving around a woman and her friends in the afterlife. But you can see it around other shows and networks, too - think of a show like The Last Man on Earth, revolving around the apocalypse, or Search Party, a plot-heavy film noir comedy. Even something like CBS's Life in Pieces, which shows several different families lives and how they intersect, and is told in short "pieces", could qualify. Like the '60s, perhaps this could be a form of escapism for people in today's similarly tumultuous political climate? Either way, it's certainly a good time for creative, original and high-concept sitcoms.

Imposters

Bravo Media and Universal Cable Productions' original scripted series Imposters, starring Inbar Lavi, Rob Heaps, Parker Young, Marianne Rendón, Brian Benben and Stephen Bishop, returns for a second season on Thursday, April 5 at 10pm ET/PT. From executive producers Adam Brooks and Paul Adelstein, Imposters follows Maddie (Lavi), a persona-shifting con artist and the "Bumblers," a trio of her recent, heart-broken victims, Ezra (Heaps), Richard (Young) and Jules (Rendón). To catch up on Imposters season one, tune in to Bravo on Monday, February 19 from 8am-6pm ET for an all-day marathon. Additionally, season one is currently available on iTunes, Amazon, Google Play, XBOX, Playstation, FandangoNow and Vudu, and is available starting today on Netflix.

Golden Globe winning actress Uma Thurman reprises her guest role as lethal fixer, Lenny Cohen. Additionally, executive producer Paul Adelstein will guest star with a story arc spanning multiple episodes, playing Shelly Cohen, a mysterious fixer who happens to be Lenny's former husband. In the season two premiere, Maddie decides to lay low at a lake house in Michigan as she tries to escape her former existence. However, she finds her past much harder to shake than anticipated, leaving her in a state of paranoia. The Bumblers head to Richard's hometown hoping to sell the rare, very expensive ring Ezra stole from Patrick. Their hope for a clean getaway backfires when the tables turn and they find themselves on the run... again.

Sitcoms Airing Tonight

Thursday, April 9

Young Sheldon - "A Slump, a Cross and Roadside Gravel" (CBS, 8:00PM ET/PT) (Repeat)
Sheldon and Georgie mine for platinum in roadside gravel. Also, Mary is concerned when Missy misuses religion to help with a batting slump.

Man with a Plan - "Adam's Big Little Lie" (CBS, 8:30PM ET/PT)
Adam promises not to lie to Andi again but finds himself in a tough spot when he has to cover for Joe.

Mom - "Hot Butter and Toxic Narcissism" (CBS, 9:00PM ET/PT) (Repeat)
Christy regrets fleeing the scene after hitting a parked car. Also, Bonnie’s therapist, Trevor (Rainn Wilson), offers tools to help her better communicate with Adam.

Broke - "Jobs" (CBS, 9:30PM ET/PT)
When Jackie encourages Javier and Elizabeth to get jobs so they can contribute financially to the household, Javier gets work as a ride share driver, with Luis’ help, and Elizabeth is employed as a personal shopper. Also, Jackie worries Sammy will get hurt by becoming so close with his uncle Javier.

Last Man Standing - "Garage Band" (Fox, 8:00PM ET/PT)
A car restoration article throws Mike, Chuck, and Ed into the spotlight, while leaving Joe feeling unappreciated; Ryan overreacts after taking Kyle's psych test.

Last Man Standing - "A Bedtime Story" (Fox, 8:30PM ET/PT) (Repeat)
Mike tries to avoid hurting Vanessa's feelings due to her snoring; Mandy goes overboard preparing for the arrival of Kristin and Ryan's new baby.

Superstore - "" (NBC, 8:00PM ET/PT) (Repeat)

Brooklyn Nine-Nine - "Valloweaster" (NBC, 8:30PM ET/PT)
The squad competes in an effort to determine who is the greatest human/genius.

Will & Grace - "We Love Lucy" (NBC, 9:00PM ET/PT)
Will claims living with Grace is like Ricky living with Lucy. When Karen and Jack hear this, they each claim that they are the Lucy of the group. Grace, Karen, and Jack each imagine themselves as Lucy (during “Vitameatavegamin,” “Chocolate Factory,” and “Grape-Stomping”), with Will as the Ricky to all of them. Lucie Arnaz and Leslie Jordan guest star.

Indebted - "Everybody's Talking About King and Queens" (NBC, 9:30PM ET/PT)
Debbie decides to become a certified life coach to help her and Stew get out of debt and immediately make waves in Dave and Rebecca’s lives. Stew rejects Joanna’s help while trying to come up with a great new as-seen-on-TV product.

Better Things - "High Man. Bye Man" (FX, 10:00PM ET/PT)
Sam goes to the weed store and visits her brother; Frankie and Sam eat ice cream.

Complete TV Listings

Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows (Week of April 6)

Thursday, April 9

Don Cheadle (Black Monday/House of Lies/The Golden Palace) - Catch Don on Jimmy Kimmel Live! at 12:05am on ABC.
Regina Hall (Black Monday/Grandfathered) - Regina appears on Jimmy Kimmel Live! at 12:05am on ABC. She will also be on Access Daily, so check your local listings.
Jane Fonda (Grace and Frankie) - Jane is a guest on Late Night with Seth Meyers at 12:36am on NBC.
Abby Elliott (Indebted/Odd Mom Out) and Adam Pally (Indebted/Making History/The Mindy Project/Happy Endings) - Abby and Adam are guests on A Little Late with Lilly Singh at 1:35am on NBC.
Tig Notaro (One Mississippi) - Tig will be on Conan at 11pm on TBS.
Casey Wilson (Marry Me/The Hotwives/Happy Endings) - Casey appears on Watch What Happens: Live at 11pm on Bravo.
Danielle Schneider (The Hotwives) - Danielle is a guest on Watch What Happens: Live at 11pm on Bravo.
Victor Rasuk (How to Make It in America) - Victor previews the new series The Baker and the Beauty on LIVE! with Kelly and Ryan, so check your listings.
David Spade (Rules of Engagement/8 Simple Rules/Just Shoot Me!) - David appears on The Ellen DeGeneres Show, so check your local listings.
Rob Lowe (The Grinder/Parks and Recreation) - Rob is a guest on The Kelly Clarkson Show, so check your local listings.
Kim Fields (The Facts of Life/Living Single) - Kim appears on a repeat of Tamron Hall, so check your local listings.
Christine Baranski (Happy Family/Welcome to New York/Cybill) - Christine will be on CBS This Morning sometime between 7-9am.
Tim Robbins (The Brink) - Tim is a guest on a repeat of Access Daily, so check your local listings.
Busy Philipps (Vice Principals/Cougar Town) - Busy appears on a repeat of Access Daily, so check your local listings.
Daniella Monet (Baby Daddy/Victorious/Listen Up!) - Daniella cooks lentil soup on a repeat of Home & Family on Hallmark Channel at 10am ET/PT.